My Date with the Rock Star's Daughter
by angellwings
Summary: The guys strike a deal with Ella's father that results in a night full of chaos and drama. Natella. Multi-Chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Anybody remember that TV movie from the 90s starring Will Friedle called _My Date with the President's Daughter_? Well I used to love it, and I was thinking about it one day and decided to write a Natella with the same basic concept: Nate is forced to hang out with Ella for an evening and ends up _really_ enjoying himself _despite_ the chaos.

**By no means will I be regurgitating the plot of the movie in its entirety**. I drew inspiration from it heavily, but that is _all_.

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

_My Date with the Rock Star's Daughter_

By angellwings

Chapter One

* * *

It was her first year away from home. Her mother called her every evening at seven on the dot to ask her about her day and make sure she was making good decisions. Supposedly her father, Van Pador, was looking out for her, but even Ella knew her mother would _never_ trust him to look after her. But it didn't really matter because every time her mother called Ella was _alone_. Normal eighteen year olds would be out partying or at _least_ out on dates, but no it was Friday night and Ella was all alone in her tiny studio apartment.

Her classes were wonderful. She was in design trade school, and only took classes that focused on her chosen field.

Fashion.

Every day Ella showed up to class and sketched, measured, and sewed her little heart out. _Finally_, she got to learn about something she was passionate about. _But_ she was lonely. The other students didn't seem to like her. From what she could tell by their eye rolling and labored sighs they thought she was ridiculous. One person had even told her she was only admitted to the school because her father was famous.

For the most part Ella ignored them. She knew it wasn't true so it didn't matter what they thought. She'd worked hard to get into this school. She'd done after school internships and worked her fingers to the bone designing performance outfits at Camp Rock every summer. She _earned_ her spot here. She wasn't going to let anyone else tell her otherwise.

So, here she was practically alone in Los Angeles. Her father would be leaving for tour in a few weeks, and then Ella really _would_ be alone. Although, she did have a few Camp friends here, but…the guys were probably too busy to hang out with her. Really, they were _camp_ friends. How often did she seem them when it wasn't summer? _Never_. She wasn't Mitchie or Caitlyn, and so she never really had their attention. She knew that was why, even though she had all three of their numbers, she hadn't called them. She was afraid they would feel obligated to see her, and that they would see her as a burden and not a friend.

That was the way Tess used to see her, and it was the way she felt like her father saw her sometimes too. She _knew_ that was the way the other students in her classes saw her. She didn't want anyone else to _ever_ think of her like that. Her phone rang and she glanced at the clock. It couldn't be her mother. Ella _just_ hung up with her ten minutes ago. She glanced at the ID and smiled before she answered.

"Hey, daddy."

"Hey, Princess. I was expecting to get your machine. Thought you'd be out with friends or something."

She scoffed. "What friends? Everyone hates me."

"Surely not _everyone_," He said. "I thought you had some friends around here from Camp Rock. Those popstar guys…Connect Three, I think they're called?"

Ella chuckled at him. "They're _Rock star_ guys not _popstar_ guys. And, yeah, I guess I do, but…we've never really talked outside of camp. I think it would be awkward if I suddenly called them now."

"I'm sure you're wrong," Van Pador said reassuringly. "You should give them a call."

"No, dad. They know I'm here. Mitchie said she told them. If they want to hang out then they can call me," Ella told him with a sigh. "I'm not going to force myself on them."

"Okay, Ellie, if you say so. I've gotta go, babygirl, I'm on soon. I'll call you later."

"Bye, daddy."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

She hung up with her father and sighed. Even her father thought her life was sad. _Great_.

* * *

Van Pador had to do something about this. He didn't understand why Ella was suddenly so friendless. She'd always been fairly popular. But apparently now things were different. The other kids she had classes with didn't appear to want to have anything to do with her, and all of her old friends were off at other schools in other states. The only people she even remotely knew here in L.A. were those Connect Three boys.

And Ella wanted _them_ to call _her_.

Well, maybe he could make that happen.

"Marty," Van Pador said as he approached his manager.

"What's up, Van?"

"Who's Connect Three's manager?"

"Terry," He answered quickly.

"Wait, Terry? _Our_ Terry? He manages us _and_ Connect Three?"

"That's why he's called _co-manager_ around here. He co-manages all of you and then co-manages the three of them with their father."

"So," He asked. "Terry would have a way to get in touch with them?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I have a proposition for them. One that could work out in _both_ our favors."

* * *

Nate didn't know what to think when Van Pador walked through the door of the recording studio Saturday morning. This was a man he'd only seen in pictures or in videos online. He'd never thought he would ever actually meet the man. Yes, he knew he was Ella Pador's father, but the guy _never_ made it to a single Parent's Day. Something even _he_ could tell bothered Ella, and he wasn't really that close to her.

Jason and Shane stood up to greet him and Nate thought he probably should as well. Van Pador said hello and shook each of their hands.

"It's great to finally meet the three of you. Ella talks about you all the time."

Nate's brow furrowed. "She does?"

Van's smile fell as he thought back. "Well, no. Not really. More like she's mentioned you in passing three or four times, _but_ I know that you all go to the same camp. And I know that Ella now lives here in the city."

The three of them nodded.

"Yeah, we heard about that," Shane said with a small smile.

"Good, then you'll call her, yeah?"

The Grey brothers shared a confused look before Jason spoke up. "Um, I'm sorry?"

"Well, you're all friends right? So, you'll call her," Van stated. It didn't sound like he was asking. It sounded like he was stating a fact. "If you do there _might_ be a spot for you at the Band Aid charity concert at the end of the month. You never know."

"Wait, wait, wait," Jason said slowly. "Are you _bribing_ us to hang out with your daughter?"

"Don't think of it as bribing. Just think of it as a favor I'm doing for my daughter's _friends_. That concert is very exclusive. Bands as new as yourselves can't normally get a spot. It's a big deal. Think about it," Van Pador said as he shoved a piece of paper into Shane's hand. "That's her number just in case you don't already have it."

"So all we have to do is hang out with Ella and you'll make sure we get to be a part of that concert?" Shane asked in an interested tone.

"That's all."

"We'll do it," Shane said quickly as he shook Van Pador's hand.

Nate and Jason's eyes widened at him.

"We will?" Nate asked.

"Yes," Shane sneered. "_We will_."

"Good, I thought that would be the case. She's free tonight. Give her a call. Oh, and boys?"

They all turned to look at him.

"It would be best not to mention this little bargain of ours to her. Actually, it would just be best not to mention _me_ at all."

"Got it, sir," Shane said with a nod. "It was _our_ idea to call."

Van nodded and left the studio, and Nate and Jason immediately turned to Shane.

"_Dude_, what are you _doing_?" Jason asked.

"What?" Shane said innocently.

"You just pimped us out for a gig," Nate said dryly.

"I did not! Look, we're already kind of friends with her, and this way we both get something out of it. She gets to hang with us and we get to be part of the biggest concert of the year!" Shane told them. "It's win-win!"

"I'm not sure Ella will see it that way," Nate told him.

"Yeah, I don't know, Shane," Jason said. "It sounds kind of cruel."

"Dude," Shane said as he threw an arm around Jason's shoulders. "If her dad is _asking_ us to be her friends then she's got be lonely. Think about it man. She's probably sitting alone in her apartment right now. You don't want poor, sweet, innocent Ella to be _lonely_, do you?"

"I—Uh…no. I'm in," Jason said with a resigned sigh.

"Jase!" Nate said in a scolding tone.

"I—Ella's always been nice to me and I don't think she deserves to be all alone," Jason said guiltily.

"Yes, see? We're just being good friends," Shane said.

Nate rolled his eyes. "No, he's being a good friend. _You're_ being an opportunist."

"I wouldn't go that far. _Good_ friends don't have to be bribed," Jason said with a grimace.

"Eh, details," Shane said dismissively. "Jason's in. What about you, Nate?"

Nate huffed. "I'm in, but _only_ because this whole thing is going to backfire and _someone_ reasonable will need to there when it does."

"Alright," Shane said excitedly as he held up the card with Ella's number on it. "Who's gonna call her?"

"This is your idea," Nate said as he rolled his eyes. "You call her."

"Fine. I will," Shane said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. "Ella? It's Shane…from camp?" He paused and chuckled a little. "Hi, um, listen, Jason and Nate and I are going to this new club tonight and we thought you might want to join us….yes, Ella, you. Are you up for it? Great! Text me your address and then we'll pick you up at your place at eight." Something flashed across Shane's features then and Nate knew exactly what it was. "See you later, Ella."

"Is that guilt I saw on your face, Shane?" Nate asked pointedly.

"No," He lied. "There's nothing to feel _guilty_ about."

"This is not going to end well. You know that, right?" Nate asked with a sigh.

"Relax, dude. What's the worst that could happen?" Shane asked as he placed a hand on Nate's shoulder.

Nate shrugged it away as he answered. "Ella could find out and hate us forever."

"Well, let's just make sure she doesn't find out, okay?" Shane said brightly.

Nate sighed again. "Yes, because it's _just_ that easy."

Nate was _not_ looking forward to tonight.

* * *

Ella couldn't wait for eight o'clock to roll around. It was Saturday night and she _actually_ had plans. Shane, Jason, and Nate were taking her with them to a club. Ella had only been to one club before, but it was an eighteen and under club. Probably very different than where they were going tonight. She knew she should probably dress up for something like this though, and she had the perfect dress. Pink, sequined, and short.

She planned to turn some heads tonight. Probably not the heads of any of the Grey brothers. Shane had Mitchie, Jason only had eyes for Caitlyn (even if he'd never told her that), and Nate…well…Nate was _Nate_; Quiet, oblivious, and only into girls he thinks he can't have. So she wasn't really looking to impress _them_, but there were bound to be other guys around at some point tonight. Who's to say she couldn't get attention from one of _those_ guys? Maybe she'd even get a date out of all of this. She hadn't been on a date since she moved out here. She missed it.

She hadn't had an excuse to get all dolled up since she'd been here either, and she planned to take advantage of this one. Dresses, make up, heels and sparkles were _fun_ for her. They made her feel pretty and confident. So, she planned on spending all the time she had between now and eight o'clock pampering herself and truly being a girl.

Tonight was going to be a blast.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

The guys pulled up outside of an older looking apartment building promptly at eight. Jason parked along the curb and they all stared up at the nine story building silently.

"So," Shane said as he drummed his fingers on the back of Jason's seat. "Who's gonna go get her? I called her so I don't think it should be me."

The quiet stretched out for a few minutes before Shane suddenly yelled.

"Not it!"

"Not it!" Nate yelled immediately after him.

"Not—dammit, I really have to get better at that," Jason cursed. "Alright, alright. I'll go."

Jason got of the car and glanced down at his hand as he started up the stairs of the building. He'd written her apartment number on his hand so he wouldn't forget, but the closer he got to her door the more he realized he didn't really need it. He would've known which apartment was hers without it. First of all, the welcome mat outside of her door was a bright pink and light purple flower, and, second of all, Mitchie's songs were blasting from behind the door. He smirked and knocked loudly on her door. The music stopped and he could hear heels heading toward the door. A shadow moved in front of the peep whole before the door unlatched and swung open.

"Hi, Jason," Ella said brightly.

He smiled at her. "Hey, Ella. You look nice. Like a pink frosted cupcake."

Ella laughed and looked down at her outfit. "Yeah, I guess I do. Is that a good thing?"

Jason's brow furrowed. "I'm pretty sure it is." He thought for a minute before speaking again. "Yes, yes it's a good thing. Pink frosted cupcakes are very appealing."

"Glad to hear it. Are Nate and Shane in the car?" She asked.

"Yes, they're waiting for us," He told her. "I'm glad you could come with us tonight. It's kind of like a Camp Rock reunion."

She smiled as she locked her door behind them. "Yeah, it is, I guess. I'm very excited. I haven't really had a chance to go out much since I moved here. It's gonna be fun!"

They headed down the hall and then down the stairs. They made small talk as they went, and Jason really started to enjoy talking to Ella. The conversation so far had been bright and happy and he didn't feel any pressure to pretend he was more mature or more sophisticated than he really was. That was a problem he sometimes had with girls. Except for Caitlyn, but that was only because she called him on it. Which…he kind of loved. A lot.

But Ella…Ella was a kindred spirit, a natural friend which made the guilt in his chest grow quite a bit. He'd be very lucky if he made it through the night without spilling the secret. Nate and Shane were leaning against the side of the car when they exited the building. Shane waved at them while Nate merely stared. Jason smirked at the look on his youngest brother's face. He might as well have been drooling.

"Hey, Ells," Shane said as he gave her a one armed hug. Her eyes widened in surprise as she returned it.

"Um, hi, Shane," She said hesitantly. She then turned and waved at Nate. "Hey, Nate."

"Ah—um, he—hello," Nate stuttered as he cleared his throat.

Her eyebrows rose and she looked at him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yes, I'm great. What about you? Are you okay? It's kind of chilly out and you have nothing on your shoulders," He said as he tried to look away from her. "You sure you don't want a sweater or something?"

"Oh, um, I'm fine. Thank you, though. Wearing this and covering my shoulders would really cancel out the point of the dress," Ella said with a chuckle.

"There's a point to that dress?" Shane asked.

"Yes. The point is to catch someone's eye," Ella told him simply.

Jason grinned at her amusement. "Got a specific someone in mind?"

She shrugged and smirked. "No, not really. I thought I would just go with the flow and see who comes along."

Nate quirked a brow at her. "What if a creeper is who comes along?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Well, then, obviously, I would sic the three of you on him."

Shane laughed and nodded. "You really think we would be that much help?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but the distraction would at least give me time to take off my heels and run away."

Nate gave her a lop-sided grin. "And if we got beat to a bloody pulp?"

She shook her head. "I wouldn't let that happen. If you were losing too badly I wouldn't run. I'd stay and beat the creeper over the head with my heels until he backed off. They're heavy and would _really_ do some damage."

Nate chuckled at her and nodded. "I can respect that."

"Believe me, you don't want to be on my bad side," Ella with a beaming smile.

Normally the guys would have chuckled with her, but they were suddenly reminded of their deal with Van. Ella's statement didn't seem so funny after that. Jason cleared his throat and motioned to the car. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, please. I'm in a dancing mood," Ella said as she tried to ignore the moment of awkward silence.

The guys let Ella have the passenger seat and Nate moved to the back with Shane. Once they were on their way Ella turned in her seat so she could see all three of them.

"So, what made you guys call me and invite me along?"

There was silence once again as the guys shared wide eyed looks.

"I—um, talked to Mitchie today," Shane said slowly. "Yes, yes I talked to Mitchie today, and she reminded me that you lived near us now. We're not used to anyone from camp being around us after the summer so I, sort of, forgot. But Mitchie mentioned you and then I remembered. We were going out tonight anyway and I just thought you might like to come."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Well, thank you. It was sweet of the three of you to invite me."

"You're, ah, welcome. Really, it's not a big deal," Shane said with a gulp.

* * *

Nate didn't know how he'd ended up with his hand on the small of Ella's back. Okay, that was a lie. He understand _how_. He just didn't understand _why _his instincts thought it was necessary. They'd gotten of the car and been mobbed by photographers, and it had just…happened. He'd put a hand on her back to guide her through the crowd to the door while Shane posed for pictures and Jason talked to the valet.

That wasn't a big deal. Well, it was a little weird that it felt natural for him to do that, but that wasn't what he was concerned about. No, he was concerned because now that they were _inside_ the club…his hand was still on her back. He couldn't seem to make himself pull it away, and she was starting to notice. Ella was giving him odd curious looks. He was leading her through the mob of dancing bodies to a private table that had been reserved for them in the back.

He cleared his throat and finally seemed able to pull his hand away. "Sorry about all the photographers outside."

She shrugged and smiled at him. "It's okay. The same thing happens every time I go out to dinner with my dad. I'm used to it."

She scooted into the booth and set her clutch down on the table. The club seemed very warm all of a sudden so Nate shrugged off his leather jacket before sliding into the booth next to her. "So, you're going to school here right? Where?"

She nodded. "Um, FIDM."

He gave her an odd look. "FIDM?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd know what that was. The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I'm studying Fashion Design."

"Are you enjoying it so far?" He asked.

"I love the classes. It's challenging but I'm learning so much," Ella said with a very warm smile. "I've never really been able to learn about something I truly care about, you know? I feel like I can't learn enough. My dad thinks I'm too wrapped up in school, but I just…can't seem to stop myself." She paused for a moment before looking him in the eyes. "Is that what music is like for you? I mean I love music. I know how to play piano and I've been taking voice lessons my whole life, but I've never been as passionate about it as I am fashion. This is the first time I've been so passionate about something that it sort of…_consumes_ me, and I've seen you at camp when you're working on songs. You certainly look…consumed. So, is it the same for you?"

He gave her a small smile. "I've never really had any one tell me I look 'consumed' by music before, but…it does seem to fit." He nodded before he continued. "I'd definitely say it's the same. There's a lot about music that I have to learn, and I can't seem to learn it all fast enough. And it's hard to pull myself away from my guitar most days. I'd say what you're experiencing is _definitely_ similar."

She laughed lightly and nodded. "Well, it's nice to know we have something in common. When we talk at camp most of the time I feel like we're on two separate planets."

His brow furrowed. Was that true? He thought back to the times he'd spoken with Ella was shocked to discover that he could count them with his fingers. She was right. He'd never really even tried to get to know her. It's not that he didn't like her or _want_ to get to know her he'd just never really thought about it.

"Sorry about that," He said sincerely. "Caitlyn says I have trouble functioning in the real world sometimes. I guess she's right."

Ella smiled at him in amusement. "I have noticed that, yes. But I'm sure, like anything, the more you practice the better you'll be."

Shane and Jason joined them then and Jason immediately turned to Ella. "Didn't you say you wanted to dance?"

She nodded and continued to smile. "Are you offering?"

Jason nodded and offered his arm to her. She accepted it happily and the two of them walked off toward the dance floor. Shane smirked at Nate.

"You and Ella seem to be hitting it off."

He smiled softly. "She's…cool. That's all."

"Cool? She's _just_ cool? Really?"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't really know her, Shane."

"You didn't really know Dana either, bro, and yet you stalked her for a whole summer."

"You _always_ have to bring that up, don't you?" Nate asked him with a glare.

Shane chuckled. "Dude, it's hilariously creepy. You will never live it down."

"Whatever," Nate said with a huff.

Shane rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Look, all I'm trying to say is that if you _think_ you might like her then open up, relax, and get to know her. Don't crawl back inside your shell and be your normal less than talkative self."

Nate sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"If you never try and get to know her and let _her_ get to know you…you'll never really know if you actually _do_ like her. It's worth a shot, man."

Jason came back to the table and sat down, and Nate and Shane turned to him.

"Where's Ella?" Nate asked.

"Getting something to drink. You know, I think she could give Caity a run for her money, at least, when it comes to enthusiasm. She's a ball of energy," Jason said with a smile. He slid his gaze over to Nate and grinned. "She asked me a couple of questions about you, you know."

Nate's eyes widened. "She did?"

He nodded. "I told her to ask you if she really wanted answers. Which means you'll have to open up a bit more than usual. To _Ella_. The girl you drooled over outside of my car earlier tonight."

"So, you're both teaming up on me now?" Nate asked.

Jason and Shane both nodded repetitively.

"Yes."

"Absolutely."

"Hey, guys," Ella said as she scooted back into the booth with a bottled water. She bumped her shoulder against Shane. "You're next on my dance card."

He blinked at her. "Dance card? What the heck is a dance card?"

"Oh, you know, when they used to have fancy balls and stuff…"

Shane quirked a brow at her. "What?"

"The women had these cards and they would go around pre-arrange who they would dance with when and then the men would sign it," Nate told his brother with a sigh. "Do you know anything about history?"

"I know that you're a nerd. Does that count?" Shane asked dryly.

"No, it does not."

"C'mon, Shane," Ella said as she pulled him out of the booth. "You owe me a dance."

"I _owe_ you a dance? How do you figure that?" He asked as he dug in his heels and made it difficult for her to pull him along.

"Y—you just do, okay? Are you like this with Mitchie?" She asked in a huff as she continued to tug him forward.

He nodded. "All the time. It drives her crazy."

"I can see why," Ella muttered as he finally started to move his feet. Nate laughed at her determination. She turned her head to glare at him playfully. "Instead of laughing at me you could help, Nate."

Nate grinned. "Why would I do that? This is far more entertaining."

"Jason?" Ella asked.

He shook his head and smirked at her. "I'm still tired from all the dancing."

"Ugh, you're all impossible," She said with a sigh.

"Now you're getting it," Shane grinned.

"Will you just get over yourself and dance with me?" Ella asked with a pout.

Shane lifted his eyebrows and spoke up sarcastically. "Oh, sure, when you put it that way, why not?"

She sighed and suddenly stopped pulling on him. Shane stumbled backwards but caught himself. Ella smirked at him. "Fine, you don't want to dance with me then don't. I'm sure lots of other guys here will want to dance with me. I'll go find one of _them_."

She started to walk away and Shane followed her.

"Hey! You're not allowed to do that! You said I got to dance with you next!" Shane whined as he jogged after her. "You can't _ditch_ me! I'm _Shane Grey_!"

Ella paused as they passed the bar and Shane bumped into her back.

"Okay, give a guy a little warning before you just _stop_ like that, Ella."

She didn't turn or acknowledge him. She was staring in the direction of the bar.

"Ella?" He asked as he waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Ella?"

"Oh, sorry," She said as she shook herself out of her daze. She motioned to someone at the bar. "Who's that? He looks familiar."

He squinted as he saw who she was talking about. He scowled. "Mikhail Romanov."

She licked her lips absently and looked the guy up and down. "He's the guy in that new Michael Bay movie right? The one with all the motorcyles and…shirtless guys."

Shane grimaced. "Yeah, I guess. He's an ass, though. We had to sit by him at the Teen Choice Awards last year. He was completely trashed the whole time."

Ella didn't usually like to stare at people, but she couldn't help it. This guy was very attractive. He was tall and broad shouldered. His hair was cut short and he had rugged looking scruff on his face. His shirt framed his upper arms just right, and you could very clearly see the definition of his abs through his shirt. She tilted her head to the right and sighed dreamily. She knew Shane said he was an ass, but…God, was he pretty. He had tattoos peeking out from under his short sleeves as he leaned casually against the bar. He looked…dangerous, mysterious, and exciting.

"Maybe I should go say hi," Ella said as she took a step toward the bar.

Shane grabbed her arm and shook his head. "Oh, no you don't. Not him, Ella. He's bad news. Flirt with any body else all you want, but, trust me, you don't want to get involved with him." He released her arm and smirked at her. "Besides I thought I owed you a dance?"

And now he was forbidden too? Geez, were they _trying_ to make this hard on her?

She chuckled and smiled at Shane. "You're right. You're totally right. Let's dance."

Shane danced like a maniac, and Ella wasn't sure if he _really_ danced like that or if he just enjoyed making her laugh because that's basically all she did while they danced. People were turning to stare and the looks on their faces were just as hilarious and Shane's dance moves. They passed the bar on their way back to the table and Ella risked another glance at Mikhail, and she was surprised to find _him_ watching _her_. She made eye contact and flashed him a flirtatious smile. He winked at her in response.

She blushed furiously as they reached the table.

"You guys must have been dancing pretty hard," Jason chuckled. "Ella's face is red."

"Yes, that's exactly what it's from," She said with wide eyes. "The dancing."

Ella took a sip of her water as a shadow suddenly over took the table. The four of them slowly looked up to find Mikhail towering over them.

"Greys," He said gruffly. They grunted in response. Mikhail turned a dangerous half smile on her. He reached a hand out and she stuck her hand in his for a shake. "I'm Mikhail Romonav."

She smirked at him. "I know. I'm Ella Pador."

His eyes widened. "Any relation to the lead singer of Headline?"

She chuckled and nodded. "He's my dad."

"Nice," He said. "That dude's badass."

She laughed. "Yes, yes he is."

"Do you…wanna dance?" Mikhail asked as his piercing blue eyes caught hers.

"Oh, sorry, dude. The next dance is Nate's," Jason told him.

"Yep," Shane said with a nod. "Ella's got a dance card. We'll put you down for a dance in say…twenty years? Sound good? Great, bye-bye, then."

Jason and Shane shoved Nate and Ella out of the booth and toward the dance floor as quickly as possible. Ella wasn't quite sure _what_ to think of what just happened. Part of her was mad at them for being rude to someone so attractive, but…

Another part of her was touched that they were trying to protect her.

Nate cleared his throat as a slow song began to play. "I'm, um, sorry about Jason and Shane."

"It's okay," She said with a grin. "I get that they're just looking out for me."

"I know you probably think Mikhail is exciting and…attractive, but…he _really_ isn't a good guy, Ella. You should be careful around him," Nate warned her softly.

Ella bit her lip and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, Nate. Thank you."

He reluctantly placed his hands on her waist and she placed her hands on his shoulders. They swayed back and forth to the music with _at least_ a foot in between them. Ella chuckled and stepped closer. She looked up at Nate as she stepped. "You don't mind do you? I was starting to feel like I was in middle school, and I hated middle school."

He gulped and shook his head. "No, no I don't mind at all."

"Good," She said shyly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his hands moved to her back.

"So," Nate said as he cleared his throat again. He really need to stop himself from doing that. "Are you going back to camp this summer?"

She nodded. "Yeah, all the internships I've found are for upperclassmen so I think I will, yes. You?"

He chuckled. "I think the record company expects us to now. They haven't even tried to have a meeting with us about a summer tour."

She laughed lightly. "Well, you guys have made a habit out of it. I know all of us usually expect to see you for a few weeks at least. So, Nate…"

"Yes?" He asked warily.

"Do you do anything that's _not_ musical?" She asked skeptically. "You know do you have any, like, hobbies or anything?"

His brow furrowed and he shrugged. "Not really. Mostly I just write, record, and hang out with friends and family…"

"No hobby at all? You don't like collect anything or—"

"Collecting is a hobby?" He asked.

"Well, I think so. Because you have to take the time to find the things you collect."

"Do _you_ collect anything?" Nate asked her.

She blushed. "Yes."

He chuckled. "And what do you collect?"

"I don't want to say. You'll laugh."

"C'mon," He begged. "Please? I'll try my best not to laugh."

"Fine, I—I collect vintage Barbie dolls. You know, like the original Barbie with the high ponytail and the striped bathing suit?" She said as she blushed even more. "They sort of inspire me when I'm having trouble coming up with a design."

"I collect vinyl records," Nate admitted. "I spend one day a month sneaking around record stores, thrift stores, and yard sales looking for something worth the money—"

"You do?" Ella asked with a bright smile. "Me too! Well, I don't really go to record stores…but thrift stores and yard sales definitely! We—we should check out a few stores together sometime."

His eyes drifted up her face. He took in her nervous smile before he caught her eyes and nodded. "We should."

"Great," She said softly as she stepped even closer. "And…thanks for not laughing."

"There wasn't really anything to laugh about, El. I don't think that's embarrassing. I mean given what you've told me about how you feel about fashion…it actually makes a lot of sense. And, I don't know, it kind of suits you," Nate told her honestly.

"It does?"

"Well, yeah. You're creative and bright and innocent and childlike—"

"Innocent and childlike?" She asked with a confused grimace.

"In a good way," he said quickly. "In the best way, really. You just seem very happy and…trusting. So, the idea of you collecting Barbies fits. It's, sort of, cute, honestly."

She bit her bottom lip and smiled. "You think I'm cute?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I didn't mean to tell you that."

She blushed and laughed. "I'm glad you did."

Someone tapped Nate's shoulder and both he and Ella turned to face the person. Mikhail cleared his throat before speaking. "You mind if I cut in?"

* * *

_dun, Dun, DUN! So I left you with a bit of a cliff, lol. It was either that of have this be a SUPER DUPER long chapter. Don't worry, you'll find out what happens tomorrow. Promise. Well, maybe tonight if I get lots of awesome reviews attempting to persuade me to post chapter three. You never know. It could happen._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_

_angellwings  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** WOW, I'm impressed! You guys really responded! YAY! Okay so here's the deal. The amount of reviews I receive will be a factor into how quickly this story is updated. There are 5 chapters and an epilogue. If you guys give me lots more awesome reviews like you did today I'll post twice tomorrow, and then the epilogue the following day. If not then we'll just do one post ever other day. It's up to you! :)

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Before Nate could answer Shane interrupted. "Dudes, this place is dull. Let's get out of here. I'm hungry. You guys up for pancakes?"

"Sorry, Romonav," Nate said with a smirk. "I guess we're leaving. You'll have to take a rain check."

"Um, bye, Mikhail! It was nice to meet you!" Ella called quickly over her shoulder as Nate followed Shane and led her away. Jason was already waiting for them with car when they made it out the door. Ella huffed and glared at the back of Shane's head. "I hope you or Jason grabbed my purse."

Shane held her clutch out to her and smiled. "Is this it?"

She snatched it out of his hand. "Thank you. Now, where are we going?"

"Pancake house close to our house. its twenty-four hours, and I'm in the mood for pancakes and bacon," Shane told her as he held open the passenger side door for her. "Hop on in."

She got in the car and Shane closed the door once he was sure she was inside. Nate and Shane climbed in the backseat, and Ella waited until they drove off to speak again.

"And your sudden craving for pancakes had _nothing_ to do with the fact that Mikhail had just asked me to dance again?" Ella asked suspiciously.

"Is that what happened?" Shane asked as he feigned innocence. "I wasn't really paying attention."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Sure, I'll pretend I believe that."

"Ella," Nate said from the backseat. "Really, it's not that we don't want you, um, _dancing_ with people…it's just that we don't want you…dancing with him. It's not just us being overprotective."

"Well, you could at least give me a chance to say no for myself," Ella said with a sigh. She took a breath before speaking up sarcastically. "I mean I appreciate it. Really, but…I can say the word no. I even know what it means."

"Ella, we're not saying you don't," Jason told her. "But you don't know this guy like we do. He can be very persuasive, and don't pretend like you're not attracted to him. We all know you are. You've made it pretty obvious."

"Attraction does not mean anything is going to happen," Ella said. "You know what? Let's just talk about something else. Jason, Shane, tell us about your hobbies. Go."

"Why don't you want to know about Nate's hobbies?" Shane asked.

"Because I've already talked to him about his. It's yours and Jason's turn."

Jason shrugged. "I have a collection of home made birdhouses."

Ella smiled warmly at him. "You make birdhouses?"

"All. The. Time," Nate said slowly. "We have more birds in our yard then should be humanly possible."

Jason glared at Nate in the rear view mirror. "You're just crabby because birds scare the crap out of you."

"No, no they don't _scare_ me. They make me nervous. Big difference."

"Dude, a bird flew into our house one time and you hid in your closet for like two hours," Shane said with a chuckle.

Nate's eyes widened and he blushed. "Shut _up_, Shane."

Ella placed a hand over her mouth and her shoulders shook with silent laughter. "I—I'm sorry, you hid…in your closet? From a bird? Was this a _big_ bird?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "It was a robin. A tiny, confused, baby robin."

"Birds are unpredictable!" Nate said defensively. "I can never tell what they're gonna do, okay?"

Ella let out a few more giggles before she cleared her throat and looked back at Shane. "Shane, any hobbies?"

"I like to cook."

Ella's eyebrows flew upward. "You do?"

He nodded. "Surprising, right? You can blame Mrs. Torres. She made me help her so much that I actually started to enjoy it."

"He's pretty good at it too," Jason told her with a smile. "For mom and dad's anniversary last year he volunteered all of us to make them dinner. He did most of the cooking."

"Ooh, what did you make?" Ella asked as Jason pulled into the pancake house.

"Rack of lamb with roasted tomatoes."

Her jaw dropped. "You know how to make that? Please tell me you've used this with Mitchie. That could earn you _so_ many points."

"If I saw her a bit more often I would definitely use it," He said with a sigh.

Ella gave him a soft smile. "Maybe you should surprise her one weekend or something. Make her dinner at her and Caity's apartment in New York. Believe me, _every_ girl wants a guy to cook for her or at least _try_ to cook for her. I'm sure Caitlyn wouldn't mind making herself scarce for a night."

Jason cleared his throat. "Dude, I could come with you and be Caity's distraction if you want."

Nate laughed and gave Jason a pointed look. "Don't you mean if _you_ want?"

Ella laughed. "Jason, really. Make a move on the girl, already."

His eyes widened as he parked the car. "What are you talking about?"

Ella shook her head. "Boys. You all always try and deny feelings. Why do you do that? Just admit you like us and do something about it. What do you _really_ have to lose?"

"Well, the girl could say no, think we're crazy, and then mock us publically," Jason said with a gulp.

Ella put a hand on his shoulder. "Honestly, Jase, does that _really_ sound like something Caitlyn would do?"

"…no, I guess not."

"Then tell her how you feel. Your chances will automatically go up if you do that," Ella said with a reassuring smile as she reached for the door handle. Nate practically jumped out of the car and ripped the door open before she could. Her eyes widened and she smiled at him in amusement. "Um, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Shane and Jason exchanged knowing smiles before they stepped out of the car as well.

"Alright, who's ready for some pancakes?" Shane asked as he shut his door and rubbed his hands together.

Nate offered Ella a hand and helped her out of the car. There was a group of, what Nate could only assume to be, frat guys standing outside of the front doors of the restaurant. When Ella stepped out they all turned to look at her. Shane and Jason didn't seem to notice, but Nate did. And as they walked into the restaurant there were even _more_ men looking at Ella. He didn't exactly like the way these guys were looking at Ella. Nate's jaw clenched and he looked down at the leather jacket in his hands. He quickly and wordlessly placed it around Ella's shoulders.

She gave him a strange look, and he smiled weakly at her. "You looked cold."

"Oh, um, thanks," She said with a smile as she slipped her arms into the sleeves. "I guess I was a little."

Ella took a deep breath as the hostess led them to their table and got a very large wiff of Nate's cologne. It was on the jacket. It smelled _really_ good. The table they were given was half of a booth. One side of the table was facing booth style seating and the other side had two chairs. Ella slid into the booth side and Nate slid in beside of her while Shane and Jason took the chairs.

The waitress came over to take their drink orders but the guys were already prepared to order food too. Ella let them order first since she was still deciding.

"Coffee, the pancake platter with bacon instead of sausage, and my eggs over easy," Shane rattled off quickly. "And can I get extra butter for my pancakes?"

"Sure," the waitress said as she wrote his order down. She turned to Jason. "For you?"

"I'll have the same. But I want the sausage and my eggs scrambled. No extra butter."

The waitress looked at Ella and Nate expectantly. "And for you two?"

Ella got the strange feeling that she thought they were together. It must have been the fact that she seemed to be looking to Nate for _her_ order. Ella spoke up first.

"Um, I'll have the breakfast combo—"

"That's a lot of food," the waitress said quickly. "You sharing it with your boyfriend?"

Ella blushed and her eyes widened. "Oh, um, no. No. We're just friends. And, yes, I want the breakfast combo. Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and I'll take the three stack of buttermilk pancakes instead of the single. I'll take toast in stead of a biscuit and can you put a little bit of cheese on my grits?"

"Sure, whatever you want," The waitress said with an awkward smile. "Sorry about the—well you know."

Ella gave Nate a shy look before returning her eyes to the waitress. "No problem, really. Oh, and a glass of milk please."

She nodded and turned to Nate. He cleared his throat before ordering. "I'll have the bacon and cheese omelet with fries instead of hash browns, toast, and a glass of orange juice."

The waitress walked away and the guys turned to Ella with wide eyes.

Shane stared at her in disbelief. "You're going eat _all_ of that food?"

She bit her bottom lip and smiled at him nervously. "I'm hungry, okay? And…I really like breakfast food. A lot."

Nate smirked at her. "It's fine, Ella. Shane's just a jerk."

"You could kick him if you want," Jason suggested. "That's what Tess does when he makes gagging noises around Luke."

"You guys hang out with Tess?" Ella asked.

"Jason makes us," Shane said in a sulking tone.

Ella smiled warmly at Jason. "You do?"

He shrugged. "Somebody needs to be there to call her on her…attitude problems."

"And you're just honest enough to do it, huh?" Ella asked knowingly.

"Everybody else is scared of her," Jason told her with a chuckle.

"This _is_ true," Nate agreed. "She intimidates _me_, at least. She's intense."

Ella chuckled and bumped his shoulder. "Coming from _you_ that means a lot."

His brow furrowed. "What? I'm intense?"

"Nate, did I or did I not tell you your music 'consumed' you earlier?"

"Okay, I get it," He said with a smirk and a nod. "I'm intense. But you used that word to describe yourself too, you know."

"Oh, I did, didn't I?" She blinked. "Huh. Am _I_ intense?"

"You were pretty intense during our fittings before Final Jam last summer. You barely said two words to _anyone_," Jason pointed out.

"Mrs. Torres said she had to take food to the wardrobe cabin that week to make sure you actually ate," Shane agreed with a nod.

Nate smirked victoriously at her. "See? _Intense_."

"Fine, you win. I'm intense," Ella said with a chuckle. "I'm going to go to the ladies room before the food gets here. Excuse me."

Ella stood up and walked toward the restrooms, and as she did so the guys looked up to see Mikhail and a few other scruffy tattooed guys walk in. They all groaned.

"Is he _following_ us? What the heck is he doing here?" Shane asked.

Nate rolled his eyes. "How are we supposed to keep Ella away from him if he shows up where ever we go?"

They watched as the hostess sat them on the other end of the restaurant _just_ out of their view. Jason sighed in relief. "Well, at least Ella won't know he's here."

"What's so great about him anyway?" Nate asked. "So he's tall and…_huge_. Big deal. At least _I'm_ a decent guy. He's a jackass."

Shane chuckled. "Jealous?"

"No," Nate lied.

"Uh oh," Jason said suddenly. "Problem. We have a problem."

"What?" Nate asked quickly. Jason motioned toward the restrooms. Ella was coming out as Mikhail was heading that direction. He saw her and smirked. She wasn't really looking at him. She was focused on their table. Nate caught her eye and she smiled warmly at him. Maybe she wouldn't see Mikhail at all.

And then Mikhail bumped her as he passed. She stumbled and he steadied her with his _massive_ arms. She smiled at him and blushed. Great. Just great. The guys watched as they chatted for a bit. She laughed loudly at something he said and Nate felt his hands clench into fists. _Don't fall for it, Ella. You're smarter than that_.

He handed her something that looked like a business card, and then he handed her a pen. She took the pen and then grabbed his hand and wrote something across his palm.

"Is—Is she…giving him her number?" Shane asked in disbelief.

Mikhail motioned to the card and then casually touched her shoulder. He winked at her before continuing to the restrooms. Ella smiled down at the card in her hand and made her way back to them. She slid back into her seat next to Nate and stuck the business card in her clutch.

"So, um, Mikhail invited us to a party."

Nate quirked a brow at her. "Us or _you_?"

"Well, he said I could bring you guys."

"So, _you_," Nate said with a roll of his eyes. "I think we'll pass."

"But…I kind of want to go," Ella said hesitantly. "I mean it doesn't even start until like two."

"He planned a party that _starts_ at two in the morning?" Jason asked with a furrowed brow.

Nate shook his head. "We're not going."

"Why not?" Ella asked.

"We've told you, Ella. Mikhail's bad news. We're not going," Nate said sternly.

"So, we're not even going to discuss it?" Ella asked. The guys said nothing and looked away from her. She glared at all them. "Fine, then maybe I'll go with_out_ all of you. I mean he did _technically_ only invite me."

"Ella," Shane said with a sigh. "You're not going to his _house_ by yourself. That's just _stupid_."

"Why do you even _care_ about that jerk anyway?" Nate asked her heatedly. "We keep telling you that he's not worth your time, and it's like you don't even hear us. He. Is not. A. Nice. Guy. What about those words do you not understand?"

Jason's eyes widened and he kicked Nate under the table. _"Dude, _calm down."

She looked between the three of them, and tried not to let Nate's harsh tone get to her. Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to go to this party, and they were probably right about Mikhail. But she wanted to find out for herself. She'd spent a good chunk of her teenage years listening to Tess's opinions on things, and she tried not to do that anymore. She liked to form her _own_ opinions on people. Did that mean she was stupid? Cause that's what Nate and Shane seemed to think. She studied the table in front of her and took deep breaths. She felt the water that had threatened to fall her eyes fade away and she ran a hand through the half of her hair that was down.

"Maybe I should just go home," She said softly. "Clearly, I'm wearing out my welcome."

Jason reached across the table and patted her hand. "You're not going home, and you're _not_ wearing out your welcome. That could never happen. We just don't want you to get hurt. That's all. _Some_ of us just don't know how to express that properly."

Jason shot glares at Nate and Shane and then squeezed Ella's hand.

Shane smiled apologetically at her. "You're not stupid, Ella. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"No, its okay," She said with a small smile. "Going to a strange guy's house _alone_ definitely wasn't my smartest idea ever."

Nate huffed and refused to look at her. "I don't like Mikhail."

"Really?" She asked dryly. "I couldn't tell."

He wiped a hand across his brow. "I just…you're too smart to fall for his charming act, and as much as I don't like him I like the idea of you _and_ him even _less_. You're better than him, and he shouldn't even be on your list of possibilities. He's not worth the effort, El. And I'm sorry, okay? I snapped at you, and you didn't really deserve it. That was a stupid move on _my_ part."

Ella smiled softly at him. "You think I'm too good for Mikhail?"

He hesitantly caught her eye and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

She blushed. "I don't need to go to that party. It sounds stupid anyway. I mean who has a party at two in the morning?"

Shane nodded. "Yeah, and we can have our own fun. We'll find another club after we eat."

Ella's eyes brightened. "More dancing?"

Nate put an arm across the back of the booth seat and then knocked her shoulder with his hand. She looked at him hopefully and he nodded. "More dancing."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **YOU GUYS ROCK. I'm serious! I've gotten five reviews for the last two chapters! That's A LOT for a Natella! Seriously! Okay, so if I get _at least_ five more reviews by tonight I'll post chapter 5. And then if you guys keep up the awesome reviews I'll post the epilogue tomorrow morning! Thanks for the reviews! Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

The waitress brought their food then and placed it in front of them. She told them to enjoy their meal before she walked off to another table. They ate in relative silence, and not ten minutes after they got their food Ella leaned back against the seat. She pushed her stack of empty plates to the side and sighed contentedly. The guys all turned to stare at her in shock.

"You're _finished_?" Shane asked. "It's been like _eight_ minutes."

"All the dancing made me really hungry?" Ella suggested with a blush.

Nate laughed at the embarrassed look on her face nudged her arm with his. "Do you have a hollow leg or something? I'm not sure even Uncle Brown could eat that much _that _quickly, and that's saying something."

She laughed lightly and smiled at him. "I just…like food. A lot."

"Caitlyn likes food, but even _she's_ never attacked her plate _like that_," Jason said with impressed eyes. "I mean it's all just…_gone_."

The guys finished their food and the waitress brought the check, and before Ella could even offer to pay for her own food the guys were arguing over who would be buying her food.

"No, dude. I'll pay," Jason said as he grabbed the check. "I'm the oldest."

"So what?" Nate asked. "I'm the sane one. I'll pay."

"Hey! This whole night was _my_ idea. I wanna pay!" Shane exclaimed.

Ella watched them with wide amused eyes and honestly had no idea what to say. Were they really arguing about this?

"Um, guys? I have money. I _can_ pay for myself," Ella told them with a chuckle.

"No way!" Jason exclaimed. "We're covering you. Or at least I am. I don't know what these bozos are doing."

Nate and Shane rolled their eyes.

"Dude, you use that oldest excuse for everything. It's tired," Shane said with a sigh.

"It works, doesn't it?" He asked. "As long as it works I'm going to use it."

Jason and Shane stood up and headed to the counter to pay. Nate decided to wait until they got back to pay, and he was glad he did when Mikhail decided to visit with Ella again. She slid a concerned glance to Nate as Mikhail took Jason's seat.

"So, are you coming tonight?" He asked.

Ella shook her head. "No, sorry. We're going to another club instead."

"Seriously?" He asked in disappointment.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Ella said politely.

Mikhail sighed and glared at Nate. "Fine, but, um, if you change your mind give me a call. I'll be around town until about one-thirty."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind," Ella said awkwardly.

"Later, Ella," Mikhail said as he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "It was nice to meet you."

Her eyes widened and she blushed. "I—I, um, yeah. Yeah, you too."

He walked away and Ella stared after him in shock.

"Ella?" Nate asked. "Are you alive?"

She shook herself out of her daze and turned to Nate. "Yes? I'm sorry. I—I…no one's ever kissed my hand before. It was _different_."

"Ella…"

"I know. I heard you earlier, Nate. I'm too good for him. I get it," She said with a sigh. "Can we get out of here now?"

"Of course," Nate said as they both stood and headed for the counter where Jason and Shane were waiting in line to pay. Nate and Ella joined them in line, and once the food was paid for they loaded back into the car and Shane directed them to another club.

The paparazzi were out in full force this time. One of them called out Ella's name. Nate felt her tense as they walked and he was surprised when she lightly grabbed his arm. She was used to the photographers but she wasn't used to them knowing who she was. It startled her. She blushed and released her hold on Nate's arm. When she let go he placed his hand on the small of her back comfortingly. He stuck close to her even after they entered the club. Security led them to a reserved VIP section on the second floor of the club. Once they were seated Nate turned to her.

"Are you okay? I thought you were used to the paparazzi?" He asked.

"I—I am. I mean I'm used to them hanging around. I'm _not_ used to them knowing who I am. It just surprised me, that's all."

He nodded. "You're sure you're okay then?"

She smiled softly at him. "Yes. I'm fine." She looked down at her hands and realized she still had Nate's leather jacket on. "Oh, you probably want this back."

She started to shrug it off but he stopped her.

"No, that's okay. You keep it for the night."

She smiled brightly and nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"No problem," He told her pleasantly.

"Alright," Shane said suddenly as he turned to Ella. "Let's go. I want to get my turn over with."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"To dance! Let's go dance!"

Ella didn't have time to react before Shane grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Nate laughed at them and then looked to Jason. Jason had a very upset look on his face. Nate's brow furrowed. "Jase?"

"Dude," Jason said as he leaned toward him whisper. "Should we tell her?"

Nate's eyes widened. "What?"

"I just—I don't know. Ella's cool. I mean, she's always been nice to me, but I didn't realize…she's just _cool_, you know? And I feel like the longer we try and keep this from her, the bigger the blow up will be. We've just started to get to know her as a friend, and…well keeping this 'deal' from her would be bad. Wouldn't it?"

Nate sighed. "Jason, I don't know if _now_ is the right time for that."

"If we don't tell her tonight we never will. We'll chicken out," Jason told him. "And if she finds out about this later on…"

"We'll tell her tonight," Nate told him. "Just not _now_."

Awkward silence stretched out between them as Jason's words nagged at Nate. Nate really _liked_ Ella. More than he thought he would. He wanted to be her friend. Honestly, it was more than possible he wanted to be more than that. He didn't want to lose her because of some stupid bribe that, _honestly_, didn't effect the way they'd treated her tonight at all. Actually Nate had forgotten about it for a while…until Jason brought it up again. And now it was all he could think about. What if Ella thought they'd been faking around her all night long? What if she thought _he'd_ been faking around her all night long? What if she found out and never wanted to speak to _any_ of them ever again? He didn't know how long the silence had lingered, but the stress and the pressure was starting to build up in his head. He groaned and turned to Jason.

"Why did Shane even _accept_ that _stupid_ bribe? And why did _you_ have to go and bring it up? All I can think about now is how much Ella is going to _hate_ us!"

"What? Why would I hate you? What bribe?"

Nate shut his eyes tight and winced. He hesitantly looked over at Ella. "You heard that?"

Shane groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Way to go, Nate."

"What?" Ella asked in confusion. "What's going on? What are you talking about?"

"I—Ella, we need to talk to you," Nate said slowly. "And you're not going to like it."

Her brow furrowed and then she paled. "Wait, this—this bribe…it has to do with me?"

He could see that she was starting to piece everything together. Her eyes watered and she stepped away from them. She laughed and it sounded terrible. It was cold and bitter.

"I see. I get it now," She said. "I should have thought of it sooner. It was my dad, right? He called you?"

Nate stepped toward her and reached for her hand. She snatched it away, and he sighed. "No, Ella, it's not as bad as it sounds. It wasn't like that—"

"So, then, my dad _didn't_ bribe you to call me and take me out?" Ella asked with a watery glare.

Jason sighed. "No, no he did. Unfortunately."

"You're still our friend, Ella," Shane told her sadly.

She turned her glare on him. "Last I checked, Shane, friends don't have to be _bribed_. What could my dad have bribed you guys with anyway? You're _Rock stars_. You have like…everything—"

"Ella," Nate said pleadingly.

"No, Nate, what was it? What did he offer you? Really, I want to know."

"It doesn't matter," Shane said sternly. "We're turning it down. It was a stupid mistake."

She rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw. "No, don't do that. You _worked hard_ for that. I mean, after all, you put up with me all night long. You fulfilled all your _obligations_ to my dad. You don't have to _burden_ yourselves with me anymore."

"Ella, it wasn't like that," Nate told her desperately. "That's _never_ how it was. We _all_ had fun. _I_ had fun….because of _you_. I—I'd completely forgotten about the bribe, honestly. We've _never_ seen you as an obligation or a burden. You have to believe me."

"No I don't have to believe you. I have _no reason_ to believe you," Ella snapped. "I—I need to take a walk."

She turned on her heels and walked into the crowd, and Nate wasted no time following her. Shane and Jason called after him, but he ignored them. He needed her to understand. He needed her to _forgive_ him. He should have put a stop to all of this before it even started. He was the reasonable one. He shouldn't have _let_ this happen. He caught her arm once they reached the other side of the crowd. "Ella, stop!"

She turned and glared at him. "Quit following me, Nate!"

"No, I can't. Not until I can _make_ you understand or convince you to…forgive me."

She huffed. "Forgive you? How do I know any of this was real? God, I am _so stupid_. I mean I thought—" She looked down at his jacket over her shoulders and took a shaky breath. She urgently pulled her arms out of the sleeves, and threw the jacket at his chest. He caught it and shook his head wordlessly. She looked away from him. "I _actually_ thought that you might…but no. That was just a stupid girlish delusion, wasn't it?"

"Ella, I—"

"Is everything okay here?"

Nate couldn't stop the heated glare that he turned on the new voice. "This is none of your business, _Mikhail_."

"Mikhail?" Ella asked flirtatiously as she kept a glare focused on Nate.

"Yeah?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Have you ever had _any_ contact with my father?"

Nate didn't like where this was going.

"Um, no. But that would be _awesome_!" Mikhail said with an excited grin.

"So then he wouldn't have, say, _bribed_ you to talk to me?"

"What would he bribe me with?" Mikhail asked. "I have everything I'd ever need."

"You see?" Ella asked Nate. "Some people don't need _incentives_ to talk to me." She turned to Mikhail with an evil smirk. "Is that invite to your party still good?"

"Ella," Nate said in a warning tone. "Don't do anything you'll regret."

"Ah, yeah. Of course," Mikhail said with a pleased grin. "Did you change your mind?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Do you mind if I catch a ride with you?" Ella asked as she slid a vindictive glare to Nate.

"If you don't mind riding on a motorcycle," Mikhail said as he stepped closer to her and flashed her, what appeared to be to Nate, a smarmy smile.

"I don't mind at all," Ella said as she grabbed Mikhail's hand. "Let's get out of here."

"If you insist," Mikhail said as he smirked victoriously at Nate. "See you around, Grey."

"Ella," Nate called after her. "Don't do this."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about me, Nate. I'm not your _problem_ any more."

Mikhail dragged her away and Nate immediately ran off to find Shane and Jason. He stopped in front of them and then began to pace.

"Nate," Jason said warily. "Where's Ella?"

"She left. She _actually_ left," He muttered.

"Left to go where?" Shane asked urgently.

"Mikhail, she left with Mikhail."

"_What?_" Jason and Shane chorused simultaneously.

"This is bad," Shane said with a groan. "This is _so_ bad."

"We need to get to that party," Nate told them. "She's in over her head. We have to get to her."

Jason nodded. "Off we go to rescue the damsel."

Shane sighed and shook his head. "What if we get there and she doesn't _want_ our help?"

"Shane," Nate said with a sneer. "This is _Mikhail_. You've heard what happens at those parties of his. You _know_ Ella hasn't. She'll _want_ our help, and I, at least, plan on being there to help her."

"Dude, I'm in," Shane told him. "You know I'm in, but…she may not _want_ our help. She was pretty mad at us."

"Then I'll throw her over my shoulder and _carry_ her out of there if I have to," Nate said with a growl. "Now _let's_ go."

Jason's eyebrows rose and he gave Shane a pointed look. "You heard the man. Now let's put on our armor and go save the girl."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** HERE IT IS. The last chapter! You guys have been AWESOME about reviews! Keep it up and I'll post the epilogue in the morning! :)

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

Nate pushed his way through the crowd with Jason and Shane right behind him. They got into the car and Jason sped away. Tess lived close to Mikhail so they knew his house pretty well. They'd been over at Tess's hanging out with her and Luke while loud music and obnoxious yelling sounded down the street from the actor's home. They expected a riot when they arrived, and they weren't disappointed.

What they _hadn't_ been expecting, however, was the bouncer by the front gate. Jason parked the car at Tess's. They knew she wouldn't mind, and then walked over to Mikhail's to find a very large balding man looking at them expectantly.

"Name?" He asked as his eyes went to his clip board.

"Ah," Shane said hesitantly. "Grey?"

The man glared at them. "No Grey on the list. Sorry."

"You don't understand," Jason said. "Our friend is in there, and we're afraid she might be in trouble. We _need_ to get in there."

"Sorry, man. If you're not on the list, you don't get inside."

"C'mon," Nate snapped. "Seriously?"

He shrugged. "Is she eighteen or older?"

"Yes," Jason answered with a sigh.

"Then there's nothing I can do, guys."

Shane nudged Nate's shoulder while Jason tried to persuade the man. Nate gave him a curious look as Shane pulled him off to the side.

"Jason and I will distract him—"

"How?" Nate asked worriedly.

"I don't know. We'll improvise."

"_Don't_ get arrested."

He rolled his eyes. "You just focus on finding Ella and dragging her out of there."

"Wait, what?" Nate asked.

"Jason and I will distract this guy while you sneak inside the party and track down Ella."

Nate nodded and took a deep breath. "Right. Got it."

The two of them returned to Jason's side, and Shane nudged Jason lightly. When he caught Jason's eyes he gave him a look that clearly communicated _something_. Nate couldn't tell what it was though.

"Dude, Jason, leave the man alone," Shane snapped. "He's just doing his job."

"Hey! I'm just trying to get to Ella! I don't see _you_ trying anything!"

"That's because I like to wait for the _good_ ideas before I do anything! Something _you_ might want to practice!"

"You know what, Shane? I am _sick_ and _tired_ of your attitude! Just stop talking before I hit you."

"Ha, right. Like you could take me!"

"Alright, calm down," The bouncer said with a huff. "The last thing I need is a couple of scrawny white boys rippin' each other's groomed hair out."

Shane lunged for Jason and the bouncer immediately stepped in between them. Nate took the opportunity to make a break for it. He ran through the gate, across the front yard, and into the very large, very _loud_ house. There were people dancing to loud pulsating music, empty bottles and cans of beer were littered _everywhere_, and he could see treys of empty shot glasses. They were stained with bright colors and he assumed they had once been Jello shots. He walked around the downstairs and _hoped_ to find Ella.

Everyone here was trashed, but not everyone was trashed because of alcohol. He really hadn't started the night thinking he'd end up somewhere like this. He tried to ignore everything going on around him and just focus on finding Ella. When he was certain he'd searched all of the downstairs he fearfully turned to the large main staircase. If Mikhail had taken Ella up there…

He glared and marched forward. This had to be the _worst_ night of his life. Well, maybe not the _worst_. After all, it had started _very_ well, and with the exception of the last hour and a half he'd enjoyed himself.

Because of Ella. And _Ella_ was what kept him heading up the stairs. Whether she wanted to be rescued or not she didn't belong here. Nate paused at the stop of the stairs. They were far too many doors. It would take to long for him to knock on each one.

"Mikhail! Stop!"

Nate snapped to attention and raced down the hall. That came from one of the bedrooms on the end, and it was definitely Ella.

"C'mon, Ella. I thought you wanted to have a good time."

Nate growled and tried to figure out which door they were behind.

"Get _off_!"

There was a thud against one of the doors and Nate raced toward it.

"Are you…_saying no_?"

"Let me go!"

Nate reached for the knob and found it locked. He pounded on the door with both of his fists. The door was jerked open and Nate was greeted with a very drunk, very angry Mikhail.

"How _the hell_ did _you_ get in here?"

"Nate!" Ella yelled. He could hear the relief in her voice, and Nate glared daggers at Mikhail.

"I believe she told you to let her go," Nate said as his glare landed on the hand that Mikhail had wrapped around Ella's wrist.

"And _I_ believe she's _my_ date now, Grey. Not yours. Mind your business."

Ella squirmed and tried to twist her wrist out of his hand but he tightened his grip. She winced. "Let go! You're hurting me!"

"Let her go," Nate said as his fists clenched.

Mikhail rolled his eyes and tossed Ella at him like a rag doll. "Take her. She's more trouble than she's worth anyway." He glared at Ella. "Just a little tease. That's all she is."

The door slammed closed and Ella wrapped her arms around Nate's neck tightly. "You came! I—I didn't think you would…I thought—"

He gulped and hugged her to him. "Are you alright? What happened? No, you know what? Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Nate…I'm sorry. I should have listened to you about _him_," She said as she buried her head in his chest. He could feel her tears on his shirt. "I—he…I told him no that I—but he…"

Nate leaned toward her ear and spoke softly. "It's alright, El. I'm here. You're safe. Let's just get out of here, okay? There's no telling what kind of trouble Shane and Jason have gotten themselves into outside."

"Shane and Jason are here?" She asked as she looked up at him with tearstained cheeks.

He smiled softly at her and reached a hand up to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. "They caused a diversion so I could get in here to find you."

She laughed softly. "They did? Then—But you didn't have to come after me…"

"You're our friend, Ella. _Of course_, we had to come after you," Nate told her. "There was no way we were going to leave you _here_ with _him_."

"Really? None of you were pretending tonight? You all _meant_ all of it?" She asked hopefully.

"I swear to you that we were being ourselves the _entire_ time. With the exception of hearing you behind that door and being scared out of my mind…tonight was the best night I've had in a long time. And it had nothing to do with that dumb bribe, and _everything_ to do with you."

She smiled at him. "Promise?"

He nodded. "Cross my heart."

"Thank you for coming after me, Nate," Ella said softly as she crossed her arms over her chest. She shivered a little and he automatically slipped his jacket off and placed it over her shoulders. He wrapped it around her and smiled warmly.

"I will always come after you, Ella. There's no need for a thank you."

She blushed and put her arms in the sleeves of the jacket. Nate placed his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the stairs.

"Come on, let's go find the guys," He said quickly as he mentally kicked himself for sounding so…goofy.

Nate kept his arm around her as they walked out of the house, across the yard, and toward the gate. Jason and Shane immediately paused their "fight" when they saw Nate and an upset, frazzled looking Ella headed their way. The bouncer gave them a strange look and then glared at Jason and Shane.

"I should have known," the large man said with a roll of his eyes. He pointed down the street and huffed. "Go. Just go."

"ELLA!" Jason yelled as he swept her up in a hug and spun her around. "You're okay!" He tensed for a moment and then pulled back to look at her. "You _are_ okay, right?"

She smiled weakly. "For the most part."

The bouncer cleared his throat. "Seriously, I need you off the property."

Shane glared at him. "Dude, emotional reunion going on here, okay? Give us a break, geez."

Ella laughed at him and then turned to the bouncer. "They're harmless, really. They were just worried about me. You'll have to cut them some slack."

The bouncer eyed her suspiciously and then sighed as his shoulders sagged. "Fine, fine. Five minutes."

Shane stepped forward and hugged Ella. "I'm sorry I talked Nate and Jason into agreeing to that stupid bribe. They didn't want to. It was all me. If you're going to be mad at anyone…it should be me. _And_ I'm sorry your dad had to bribe us in the first place. Mitchie told me you were here. We should have thought to call you earlier. It's just…you're so happy and bubbly that it didn't occur to me that you might be lonely."

She pulled back and smiled at him in amusement. "Apology accepted, _but_ I refuse to be mad at you. Any of you."

Shane released her and his brow furrowed. "What? Why?"

"Because you were there for me when I _really_ needed it. That's something _real_ friends do. So it may have _started_ as a bribe, but…it didn't end that way," Ella said to all three of them. "Besides, I know how my dad can be. He makes it really difficult to say no sometimes."

"So we're good?" Jason asked. "We're _all_ good?"

Ella nodded and smiled brightly. "We're all good. Now, can you guys take me home so I can clean up a bit? I—I feel kind of…gross."

"Yeah, of course," Nate said as he rubbed her back. "Whatever you want, El."

"You know, this whole thing _did_ turn out to be win-win. We got to hang out with you, which was awesome, and you got free food, which I'm sure was also awesome," Shane told Ella as he flashed a bragging smile at his brothers. "I was totally right."


	6. Epilogue

**A/N:** Alright guys, here's the epilogue! I hope you guys enjoy it! You've all been so awesome! Thanks so much for _reading and reviewing!_ I appreciate it so much!

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

_Two Months Later…_

Ella glared at the sketch in front of her as she tried to scale the measurements for her pattern. Class was almost over. They'd gotten their _next_ assignment today, and since Ella had already finished with the one that was due that day she decided to get a jump on it. She sketched out her idea and was not working on the part she always hated. Measuring and creating the pattern.

Someone cleared their throat and Ella turned down her iPod and looked up. Her professor was smiling at her in amusement.

"Class is over, Ms. Pador."

She blinked. "It—it is? I didn't realize. I was working."

"I see that," She said as she peered at her sketch. "It's good work too. I'm actually glad you're still here. I wanted to talk to you about the student showcase at the end of the semester."

"_The_ Student Showcase? I thought you had to be an upperclassmen to be a part of that?" She asked in shock.

"No," The professor said with a smile. "Just exceptionally talented. I was hoping you'd submit a few of your designs for the fashion design portion."

Ella smiled brightly. "Me?"

"You're the best in your class. Well, you're actually one of the best I've had in three semester. Your work is flawless. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were an old pro at this."

Ella blushed. "Thank you, and I would _love_ to submit a few of my designs."

"Good, I look forward to seeing your designs fully realized, Ms. Pador," the professor said as she watched Ella pack up her things. Ella thanked her as she walked out the door. Her phone vibrated and Ella urgently pulled it out. She had a text.

"_You're late_._"_

She rolled her eyes and responded.

"_Sorry, I got caught up with a design."_

"_I figured. Are you out of the building yet?"_

Ella chuckled and pushed the door open that led out side. She found Nate leaning against Jason's car with two take out container. One in each hand. He smiled warmly at her and put away his phone. "I brought dinner. Shane and Jason are in New York so it's just me, and I can't cook to save my life. Hence…take out."

She reached out to take a container but he pulled his hand back.

"Are we eating at your place or mine?"

She laughed at him and lunged for the container again. "Mine, I guess. It's neater."

"_I_ am not messy. _Shane_ and _Jason_ are messy."

"Can we just go?" She asked with a chuckle as she gave up on the container. "I'm _hungry_."

He handed her the containers. "Fine. You hold those…and _don't_ eat them, and I'll drive."

"Deal," She told him as she took the containers from his hands. He opened the passenger side door for her and she smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you."

Once he was inside the car and they were on the road Ella angled her self toward him in her seat, and smiled excitedly. His eyes slid to her briefly and then back to the road. "What? Why do you look like you're about to burst?"

She giggled and sighed happily. "Guess what just happened to me after class?"

"Um, one of your classmates decided not to be an ass today?" He asked.

She shook her head and smirked at him. The guys had been to her class's first fashion show and were exposed to how utterly _ignored_ she was. They were more upset about it than she was at this point. She'd gotten over it. It was their loss not hers. "Sadly, no, but I really don't even care. I don't need my classmates to be my friends. I already have friends."

Nate sighed and shook his head. "I know _you_ don't care, but I do. They shouldn't treat you that way. It's not right or fair."

"Sometimes the world is just unfair, Nate. Besides why do I want friends _that_ shallow? I don't want just _any_ friends. I want _good_ ones. And I already have good ones. So, I'm happy," She told him with a bright smile. He gave her a skeptical look and her smile brightened. It really was adorable how much this bothered him. "Trust me, Nate. I _am_ happy."

He smiled softly and nodded. "Well, as long as you're happy."

"You still haven't guessed what happened today," Ella said as her apartment complex came into view.

"I don't know," He said with a shrug. He cleared his throat and continued hesitantly. "Somebody asked you out?"

"Nate, we just talked about how no one at my school likes me. Plus, there are maybe like _five_ straight guys at my school. _Who_ would ask me out? Really?"

He laughed and let out a relieved breath. "Right, how silly of me."

He pulled into the parking lot and parked in font of her building. He got out of the car and went around her side to open the door for her. He shut the door and then took the containers out of her hands.

"C'mon, keep guessing," Ella told him as they walked up the stairs to her door.

Nate laughed and shook his head as they reached her door and she pulled out her keys. "Ella, I'm terrible at guessing. We'll be at this all night long. Just tell me."

She unlocked the door and turned to him with the brightest smile he'd ever seen from her. Which was saying a lot. They walked into the apartment and he shut the door behind them. "One of my professors asked me to submit my designs for the student showcase! That's the most exclusive event of the school year. It's mostly upperclassmen who are about to graduate, but she said that I was 'exceptionally talented'. Me! A lot of really big designers come to this thing every year, Nate! It's _huge_."

He set the containers down on her counter and then wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He lifted her off the ground a little ways and spun her once before setting her back down. "Congrats, Ells. I'm very happy for you. You deserve it."

He pulled back to look at her and realized too late just _how_ close their faces would be. They both felt the atmosphere in the room change. She smiled shyly at him and took in a nervous breath. He licked his lips and tried to keep his gaze form lingering on hers. Finally, she spoke very softly. "Thank you, Nate."

He felt that she was about to pull away and his arms automatically tightened around her. She gave him a curious look and he winced inwardly. He hadn't meant to do that. It was like a reflex. He didn't want her to pull away just yet. "Ella…"

"Yes?" She asked as she swallowed nervously.

"We should probably eat before the food gets cold."

"Oh, right," Ella said as her brow furrowed in confusion.

Nate closed his eyes and cursed himself. _"We should probably eat…"_? What was that? He had the perfect opening to ask her out, and he ended up saying _that_? He was _very_ stupid man.

"Nate? If we're going to eat then you should probably let me go," Ella said in an amused tone.

"I—uh…sorry," He said with a frustrated sigh.

Ella's left eyebrow rose and she gave him a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

He moved to pull away from her but he paused and grinned when he felt Ella's hands tense on his shoulders. He smiled slowly at her and cleared his throat. Could it be that she didn't really _want_ him to let her go? "I'm _great_, actually."

The sudden change in his demeanor caused Ella's brow to furrow. "Nate, you're kind of weirding me out here. Two seconds ago you looked like you wanted to crawl into a hole, and now you look like the cat who ate the canary. Care to share?"

And then he did something he should have done long before now. He kissed her. Ella inhaled sharply as his lips touched her own, but it didn't take her long to relax. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned the kiss. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she immediately parted her lips. She made muffled noise that seemed to be a combination of a whine and a groan. He pulled back for air and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he smiled at her.

Her face was flushed and she beamed at him. "Took you long enough."

He laughed. "I apologize."

"Seriously, though, you're going to ask me out right?" Ella asked with a smirk.

He smirked and turned back to the containers on the counter. "I plan on it."

She blinked at him. "You _plan_ on it? Do you plan on it anytime soon?"

He opened the containers and nodded before he began to search through her cabinets for plates.

"Na-_ate!_" She whined. "Will you just ask me? This is mean!"

He chuckled as he opened yet another cabinet. She groaned and moved across the kitchen and grabbed two plates out of the cabinet above the coffee maker and handed them to him. He took the plates from her and put them next to the containers. He turned back around and used her hands to pull her to him.

"Ella, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" He asked as he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"_Tonight_? You're going to count _this_ as our first date?"

He gave a bemused smile. "Is that a problem? I mean I _did_ buy dinner and we _are_ all alone."

Her eyes sparkled and a smile slowly spread across her face. "True," She said as she laced her fingers with his. "It does sound pretty perfect." She released one hand and poked his chest. "As long as you aren't being _bribed_."

He groaned pathetically at the sight of her teasing grin, and laughed. "You just _had_ to bring that up, didn't you?"

She giggled and winked at him before she kissed his cheek. "Sorry, couldn't resist."


End file.
